Wines with low alcohol content, although present on the market, have not gained enough recognition. A vast market opportunity exists for alcohol-free wines to succeed and establish a niche market. Tahiirah Habibi, the founder of hue society, says it is high time that we put these non-alcoholic wines on the maps as they are in demand, especially among pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and those with health issues. The main reason for its unpopularity can be that there are few wines in the market that taste similar to alcoholic wines.
Wine is the most difficult non-alcoholic beverage to crack, according to Alex Hunt, MW, purchasing at Berkmann Wine Cellars. Since wine comes from fermented fruit, removing the last step will leave only sugar syrup. According to Jamie Saint, the chief winemaker of AVL, which produces McGuigan Zero, "quality is the biggest barrier to entry." When consumers drink non-alcoholic wines, they want something that has that alcoholic taste. Unfortunately, most wines without alcohol cannot offer this service to their customers. But how are the few producers, such as Thomson & Scott, Leitz Wein, and White Rabbit, delivering this with so much perfection?
According to Habibi, the barrier to trying these alcohol-free wines is two-fold: education and marketing. Non-alcoholic wines are not marketed as alcoholic wines. She says it is about educating the right people that a wine alternative exists in the market and that it tastes good.
The vine pair recommends three alcohol-free wines that feel, smell, and taste close to alcoholic wines. The list has Thomson & Scott Noughty, Leitz Ein Zwei Zero Riesling, and McGuigan Zero Shiraz. All these wines have a 0.0% ABV level. Hunt says the non-alcoholic wine industry has a long way to go.